Int’l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers
The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment. We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..
- The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
- Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
- Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
- The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
- The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
- The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).
Phillies Gauging Trade Interest In Cole Hamels
Monday: Olney adds that the Phillies are focused on acquiring help at third base and in the outfield in any trade for Hamels (Twitter link).
Sunday, 2:30 pm: The Phillies' asking price for Hamels is said to be a package of four to five prospects, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Olney adds rival executives believe such a package could be hard to come by with the new rule preventing teams from offering arbitration to potential free agents acquired in trade (via Twitter).
12:22 pm: The Phillies have begun calling teams to see about trade interest in Cole Hamels, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The left-hander will be eligible for free agency after earning $15MM in his walk year. Heyman writes there has been no progress made in contract negotiations.
It's possible that the Phillies are just scoping out early interest in Hamels just in case, Heyman tweets, but the calls make the odds of a trade seem real at this point. Less than a week ago, it was reported that the club was not ready to put Hamels or outfielder Shane Victorino on the block.
There should be no shortage of interest in the 28-year-old and the Rangers could be one of the more aggressive suitors for him. Texas is said to be scouting Hamels as well as Brewers pitcher Zack Greinke.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Phillies Notes: Hamels, Howard, Halladay
Yesterday we learned that the Phillies have begun calling teams to see about trade interest in Cole Hamels. Here's the latest on the left-hander..
- An executive who spoke with the Phillies says he can't see them unloading Cole Hamels and other pieces until after Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay return in mid-July, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. denounced rumors of the club shopping Hamels and told reporters, including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that he plans to keep the pitcher in Philly in the "short term and long term." When asked if he believes re-signing Hamels is realistic, he answered in the affirmative. Meanwhile, a baseball source says contact between the GM and Hamels' agent, John Boggs, has been almost nonexistent.
- The Phillies will not be trading any major piece anytime soon, opines Gelb. Gelb believes that Amaro has simply been gauging interest in his top pieces and won't necessarily move anyone.
Rosenthal On Pirates, Headley, Angels, Phillies
In today's column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Pirates should go all in and trade for either Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke or Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Rosenthal notes that the Bucs have the 11th-ranked farm system in the majors and enough young talent to pull off a trade without including Jameson Taillon or Gerrit Cole. Pittsburgh's pitching has been strong this year and the team is currently focusing on boosting their offense, but finding a hitter who could make an impact on the level of Greinke or Hamels would be a challenge. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- The Padres are drawing serious interest in third baseman Chase Headley, but one rival exec wonders how could the team trade Headley without knowing the future of left fielder Carlos Quentin. The club could potentially move both and replace Headley with top infield prospect Jedd Gyorko, but that would leave them flat offensively in 2013.
- Some execs wonder if the Angels might try to add one of the elite starters on the block due to the recent struggles of Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. The chances appear remote, however, as the Halos' farm system isn’t deep and sources say GM Jerry Dipoto is adamant about keeping right-hander Garrett Richards as a future low-cost option.
- Even before the Phillies began calling teams about Cole Hamels, it was obvious that they wouldn't be buyers. “Their scouts are not out there banging,” a rival exec said. “They’re usually out there banging by this time. They’re playing it more conservative.”
- The GM carousel could pick up again this year. The Rockies, Mariners, and Braves could all be compelled to make changes while the Dodgers and Padres are under new ownership. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract while the Padres’ Josh Byrnes has four years left.
- Sellers should target teams who are under a great deal of pressure to win such as the Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, Tigers, and Angels. The Yankees now work to take emotion out of the equation when surveying the trade market but they could feel added stress if they start to see another AL East club as a threat.
- Giants outfielder Nate Schierholtz is out-of-options and could draw interest at the deadline. Schierholtz is hitting .248/.314/.400 with three homers in 140 plate appearances.
Quick Hits: Jon Daniels, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has delivered three game-winning RBIs in his five games since being called up from Triple-A last week. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the big leagues…
- The Rangers will take a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming trade deadline meaning Jon Daniels and his associates plan to consider the best players available, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Daniels hopes his team will benefit from getting four pitchers back from the disabled list before the end of the month. "… I’m hoping we’re not big players at the deadline. Hopefully, we get our guys back, get healthy and stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing."
- The Phillies will make at least one more attempt to sign Cole Hamels to a long-term contract before the team fully commits to dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). As mentioned earlier today, opposing clubs believe Philadelphia has an asking price of four to five prospects for Hamels, which makes a deal unlikely at this point. The 28-year-old was selected for his third All-Star team on Sunday after posting a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.
- Dodgers star Matt Kemp remains confident in his team's ability to be successful on the field after Los Angeles' deal with the Astros for Carlos Lee fell through on Sunday, says Alex Angert of MLB.com. "It's always good to get people to make your team better," Kemp said. "I don't know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that's good. But if we don't, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half."
- The Rays, depleted by a series of injuries, will determine how they approach the trade deadline based upon the health of Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If Longoria and Joyce return from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break, it would free up the Rays to bolster their weak spots at catcher and shortstop. More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who has 15 home runs since May 15.
Yankees Acquire Chad Qualls
4:08 pm: The Yankees have designated infielder Matt Antonelli for assignment to make room for Qualls on their 40-man roster, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The Yankees had claimed Antonelli on waivers from the Orioles in May.
3:38 pm: The Yankees announced they have acquired reliever Chad Qualls from the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Phillies had designated Qualls for assignment on Thursday. This is the second trade in as many days for the Phillies, who dealt Jim Thome to the Orioles yesterday for a pair of Class A prospects.
The Yankees needed to supplement their bullpen with the recent struggles of Cory Wade and the promotion of Freddy Garcia to the starting rotation because of injuries to C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. Qualls has struggled himself in 2012 with a 4.60 ERA in a team-high 35 games for the Phillies.
Phillies Notes: Fire Sale, Amaro, Hamels
Earlier tonight the Phillies traded Jim Thome to the Orioles for a pair of Single-A prospects. Here's the latest from the City of Brotherly Love…
- The Phillies are not yet ready to start a full-scale fire sale according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Thome deal figures to be the first in a series of moves, however.
- GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters (including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki) that they'll get both Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard back in the coming weeks, and the duo will be "pretty big factors" in the club's trade deadline plans.
- When asked if the team's losing would impact his upcoming free agent decision, Cole Hamels told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he's not thinking about it (Twitter link). The Phillies went 9-19 in June.
- Earlier tonight we heard that the Rangers are scouting Hamels, but that the Phillies trading Shane Victorino may be more likely.
Rosenthal On Victorino, Red Sox, Braves, Brewers
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's round up the rumors…
- The chances of the Phillies trading Shane Victorino may be greater than the chances of them trading Cole Hamels. The Dodgers, Reds, and possibly the Yankees could be fits for the outfielder, who originally asked Philadelphia for a five-year extension. They're unwilling to give him a contract that long.
- The Red Sox are likely to be one of the most active teams at the trade deadline. If they keep Franklin Morales in the rotation, they're likely to seek another left-hander for the bullpen. They could also acquire a starter and shift Morales back into a relief role.
- The Braves are not as adamant about not trading their top young pitchers as they were at this time last year mostly because there are more appealing choices on the market. They're looking for consistency and could part with one of Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, or Randall Delgado if they view someone like Matt Garza as a difference-maker.
- The Brewers remain more likely to sell than not, but they would still like to return to contention quickly. They could ask for big league pitching instead of prospects for Zack Greinke, plus Francisco Rodriguez figures to have value on the trade market. GM Doug Melvin is getting calls about John Axford and Jose Veras, and the trio of Randy Wolf, George Kottaras, and Shaun Marcum (if healthy) remain trade bait.
Rangers Scouting Both Zack Greinke & Cole Hamels
With four starting pitchers on the disabled list, the Rangers are scouting both Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels prior to the trade deadline according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. In a video, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says he's heard that Rangers GM Jon Daniels "is not messing around."
Texas reportedly had a scout at Greinke's most recent start in Cincinnati. The Brewers are said to be prepared to move their ace right-hander if the two sides are unable to agree to a contract extension in the weeks leading up to the deadline. A Rangers official told MLB.com's Peter Gammons that they will not be in on Greinke, however (Twitter link).
The Phillies have yet to make Hamels available, though GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has indicated a willingness to sell if his team does not improve its performance. Morosi speculates that Rangers' prospect Mike Olt could be a fit for Philadelphia, who is looking for a long-term solution at third base.
The Rangers are currently without Derek Holland (shoulder), Colby Lewis (forearm), Alexi Ogando (groin), and Neftali Feliz (elbow). They signed Roy Oswalt as a free agent last month and he's since made two starts for Texas.
Orioles Acquire Jim Thome
The Orioles have acquired veteran slugger Jim Thome from the Phillies for Single-A prospects Kyle Simon and Gabriel Lino, both teams have announced. O's GM Dan Duquette told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com) that the two sides had been talking for about a week before finalizing the trade on Saturday (Twitter link).
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. recently disclosed that he was open to moving Thome if there was a deal that made sense for both the slugger and the team. After his recent strong showing at designated hitter during interleague play, Thome was on board with joining an American League club in need of a bat. Philadelphia had been reportedly shopping him to teams in need of a DH and the O's fit the bill.
Thome, 41, is hitting .242/.338/.516 with five homers in 71 plate appearances this season. Most of that damage has come as the DH during interleague play, including a 6-for-13 showing during a three-game series in Camden Yards earlier this month. Thome missed more than a month with a back strain earlier this season.
Baltimore's designated hitters have hit a solid .258/.349/.439 this season, though they've rotated between Nick Johnson, Mark Reynolds, Chris Davis, and others. Johnson was recently placed on the DL with a wrist problem, so Thome gives them a replacement left-handed bat, one that should provide more power. The Orioles designated left-hander Zach Phillips for assignment in a corresponding move to free up a 40-man roster spot.
Simon, 21, was Baltimore's fourth round pick in last year's draft. The right-hander has pitched to a 3.96 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 14 starts and 72 2/3 innings down in A-ball this year. Baseball America ranked him as the Orioles' 18th best prospect before the season in their Prospect Handbook, saying Simon "should be an innings-eating starter." He was originally drafted by Joe Jordan, the Phillies farm director who was previously with the Orioles.
Lino, a 19-year-old backstop, is hitting .218/.282/.340 in 227 plate appearances down in Low Class-A this year. Baseball America ranked him as Baltimore's 21st best prospect before the season in their Prospect Handbook, noting that he offers power potential but is raw behind the plate.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com first reported that the two sides were in talks while Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the trade agreement (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and Rosenthal later added details (Twitter links). Photo courtesy of US Presswire.